


dawn at ephesus

by ohgod



Category: Road House (1989)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-24 01:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12001962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohgod/pseuds/ohgod
Summary: rosy-fingered oracles, miracles





	dawn at ephesus

“i’m afraid i don’t understand as much about it as i’d like,” she was laughing, hands like little birds, “but they say time isn’t -- isn’t a line. it’s, it’s a river. generally, a river follows its course, but it can freeze or shrink or swell -- or sometimes even run backwards -- ”

dalton didn’t move from the dark of the doorway, leaned into it.

his girl sat on top of the couch, long legs hooked over wade’s shoulders. the braid was, at best, messy. she didn’t know he was there, watching. wade did. it was the way he lengthened, relaxed. like a good-tempered hound, he just winced when she tugged too hard. “if time ran backwards, sweetheart, don’t you think we’d know about it?”

“it doesn’t happen often,” she said around a mouthful of stolen whiskey, and then: “thankfully, my work here is done because i need to go. give him a kiss for me, but go easy on the stitches.”

“give it to ‘im yourself,” wade drained the rest of the finger, which almost hid his smile.

“tough guy, lurking in the shadows,” but doc had the same smile, when she kissed him. dalton leaned in a second time but waited until she had tied up the bun. and then, he lifted her, and the world was slow and sweet for a heaven’s furlough.

the river rushed again; she thumped his chest, grabbed her jacket and blew a kiss to wade.

“how was the deuce?” wade tried to stand in one motion and jerked back with a grunt, “peckerhead, these fuckin’ stitches -- “

he didn’t know, what exactly to call wade. but he knew how to throw himself across his lap without rattling the fresh knitting between his ribs. “runs herself, these days. though, there is word that highwaymen coming through next month. what were you two talking about?” he covered the stitches with his palm before he caught himself, let his hand stay there.

“quan-tum mechanics. it’s science that got too damn smart for itself. or they’re all on LSD,” wade cracked a grin anyway.

when they kissed, dalton knew what it was, what it was to be in a building burning to the ground, in the perfect quiet before the first beam caved. wade had him by the hair, spanish ash in the back of his throat ( _mi vida. cansado?_ yeah, whatever you said, yeah -- )

and all morning runs backward and uphill.


End file.
